Classrooms will be cleaned daily. Additional and enhanced cleaning will take place in common spaces and areas where there are frequently touched surfaces, and disinfecting wipes will be available so that students can clean individual work spaces.
In addition, UCF has ordered an additional 1,200 hand sanitizing stations and 2,000 cases of refills. The stations will be strategically placed around campus in high-traffic areas and near commonly touched surfaces, such as near the doors at building entry points.
Related FAQs
Would all classes again move to remote instruction if there is a resurgence of the virus?
It is possible, and UCF’s plan is flexible and can be adjusted based on evolving public health conditions.
What about students and faculty members who fall ill?
For students: Faculty are being encouraged to plan courses so that students who fall ill will be able to continue in the class and learn remotely during the time they are ill, quarantined or isolated. Also, attendance requirements have been discouraged.
For faculty: Faculty at elevated risk for severe illness form COVID-19 will instruct courses remotely. Normal processes should be followed in the event a faculty member falls ill during the semester.
Is hand sanitizer available?
Yes. Frequently washing your hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs and viruses and protect yourself from COVID-19, but if that is not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol will work.
UCF ordered an additional 1,200 hand sanitizing stations and 2,000 cases of refills. The stations are strategically placed around campus in high-traffic areas and near commonly touched surfaces, such as near the doors at building entry points.
Will there be additional attention paid to cleaning?
Yes, additional and enhanced cleaning will take place in common spaces and areas where there are frequently touched surfaces, including hallways, stairways, restrooms and elevators.
Employees will be responsible for cleaning and maintaining their individual workspaces, including desks, chairs and computer equipment.
What if I have concerns about disregard of safety precautions?
Immediate concerns should be brought to your supervisor’s attention. If it is not possible to elevate concerns at the department level, the IntegrityLine is a secure system to report suspected misconduct.
You can reach the IntegrityLine 24/7 at compliance.ucf.edu or 1-855-877-6049. All reports are reviewed by the University Compliance, Ethics and Risk Office, and investigated as discreetly and promptly as possible.
What measures are being taken to reduce COVID-19 transmission through the university’s heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) systems?
Measures being taken address ventilation, filtration, administrative controls and sterilization technology. Ventilation and filtration provided by HVAC systems can reduce the airborne concentrates of SARS-CoV-2 and, thus, reduce the risk of transmission through the air.
Filtration: UCF’s research facilities utilize MERV 9 pre-filters and MERV 14 final filters. UCF will continue to adhere to the maintenance schedules for quarterly, semi-annual and annual filter changes for all HVAC systems on campus.
Ventilation: UCF will continue to maintain design ventilation rates that are determined by ASHRAE standards for air change rates based on each building’s application.
Administrative controls: UCF is working with the Registrar’s Office on class start times and cleaning schedules, and will provide further updates when the Fall Classroom Seating Task Force further refines the model for opening in fall semester. This will result in an increase in overall ventilation effectiveness per occupant, as the design ACH rates will remain in place or increase where possible, while the population in each building is anticipated to decrease.
Sterilization technology: The university is installing additional ultraviolet-bandwidth energy (UV-C) lighting in air handler units serving instructional and administrative offices. While UV-C will not mitigate transmission risk of SARS and COVID-19 within campus buildings’ HVAC air streams, the ultraviolet energy will help inactivate the DNA and RNA of most viral, bacterial, and fungal organisms so that they are unable to replicate. The kill rate for UV-C is based on a factor of time and exposure to the light. Note that even with high-intensity UV-C irradiation, the deactivation rate will not be 100% for all biological particles.
Is ultraviolet light technology currently used to sterilize the air in campus buildings?
The energy of ultraviolet light (UV-C) filtration is currently used in some air handlers on campus, as it is effective in disrupting the reproductive DNA and RNA of infectious pathogens and helps maintain a clean and sterile environment inside the air handlers. UV-C technology is currently being installed in select high-density instructional, administrative offices and operational support buildings. Buildings that are already 100% outside air, single pass airstream by design are not currently slated for UV-C lighting rollouts as none of those air systems have any return air from the occupied spaces. AHU systems in research buildings that do utilize mixed return and outside air (offices, classrooms) are slated for UV-C lighting.